The Beast Within
by EmengeeCupcake
Summary: Haunted By One. Deceived By Another. Coveted By Both. How Do You Fight The Beast Within? Chapter 7 is now up and features BAD Nikola XD!
1. Chapter 1

I do not own anything here exept the juicy scene below, because Heaven Forbid they add something like this between John and Helen in the actual show... Rant over :) Sanctuary belongs to the wonderful Damian kindler, Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, and all the other people over there.

Please remember that this is un-beta'd (still looking for one BTW) and all constructive critisism is welcomed! The link to the trailer I made for this fic is located on my profile :)

Flames will be used to toast marshmallows for the s'mores that I will share with my plot nubbins.

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It had taken only minutes for Helen to locate John in the corridor near her bedroom, a few minutes more to convince Henry and Will to let her confront him alone. She would not have their blood on his hands if she could help it.

Helen knew John would sense her approach, even after over a century apart they were still sensitive to each other's presence in a way that frightened her. He was standing at the window facing the courtyard, his back was to her and his hands were clenched at his sides. As she approached him she saw his shoulders tense in anticipation; the same tension filled her own body as she slowly raised the gun, the click of the dart sliding into the chamber causing him to turn around and face her.

"How long?" she asked softly.

"Long enough." He said in a low voice. "Habits are… hard to break"

Helen bristled at his words, the anger in her voice covering the pain she felt. "Perhaps you're not trying hard enough."

"I am who I am!" John growled at her. "And it's high time you did something about it."

Helen didn't bother to duck as the knife he threw narrowly missed her, deep down she knew he would never truly harm her. She fired the dart at him and missed as he ran around the corner into the adjacent hall; she quickly reloaded and chased after him, getting off another round before he dashed around a corner. She followed him and cried out as his outstretched arm caught her in the chest; the world spun as she landed hard onto her back, all the air rushing out of her as the gun clattered to the ground and slid few feet away. She quickly rolled over and pushed herself up on her hands and knees, trying to reach the gun before John got to her. She cried out in pain as his foot connected with her ribs, the harsh kick knocked her onto her back and forcing her to gasp for air.

She cringed as John leaned down to collect the gun and tossed it further out of her reach, the raw hunger on his face sent a sharp knife of panic through her. He crouched over her, holding his body up against hers to keep her pinned beneath him. He grabbed her arms and forced her against the wall, slamming her against it with such force that her vision went blurry.

"What are you going to do Helen?" He asked, straddling her legs and pressed himself against her to trap her between him and the wall. Helen flinched; panic filling her as his right hand slid from her arm to her neck and his mouth descended on her throat. She felt his hot breath against it followed by the sharp searing sting of his teeth, a cry of pain and ecstasy escaping her mouth as she struggled to stay still.

"John." She whimpered, admitting her fear to him as he bit her neck. Although he seemed to be lost in his thoughts she felt the tension in his jaw lessen, this small action giving her hope that she could get out of his deathly hold. Her heart sped up as his tongue started to dance over the mark his teeth had made on her skin and she gasped as she felt the cool air hit the hot trail he had made down her neck. The surprised sound seemed to pull John completely out of his thoughts.

"Something's changed." He whispered softly in her ear; his voice hoarse and thick as his hand traveled from her neck to grip her upper arm. The mere sight of Helen flushed and trembling beneath him shook him to the core. He took pleasure in the fact that Helen's breathing sped up as he leaned closer.

The sound of running in the corridor snapped John back into action; he flew away from Helen and slammed his fist into the unsuspecting persons face as she rounded the corner, knocking the young woman unconscious. The sight of Kate falling to the ground snapped Helen back to reality but she had no time to react before John was back in front of her and yanking her to her feet and away from the wall, his grip tight on her arms as he pulled her against him.

"I take it the EM shields are up." He said. It wasn't a question.

Helen stiffened against him and nodded slightly, fearful that he would try to teleport out regardless of the consequences. John was no fool; he knew that he would die if he tried. He glanced down at the body of her would be rescuer and sneered as he forced Helen backwards into her room.

Helen wanted desperately to jerk herself away from him but his grip was too tight. When they entered the room John shoved her to the ground, locking the door behind them before turning to face her again. Helen quickly got to her feet and backed away in an attempt to put as much space between them as possible. Her eyes were wide as she tried to think of a way out of the situation.

"John you have to let me help you." She pleaded as he stalked towards her, her hands held up in a non-threatening manner while she tried to find a way out of the room.

She saw an opening and darted past him, yelping as his arms wrapped around her waist before whirling her around and shoving her into the wall in one fluid movement. She gasped in pain as her back collided with it, her head hitting the wall with enough force that she had to fight to remain conscious. John was against her in an instant, catching her as her legs gave out and holding her body up against wall with his. She squeezed her eyes shut as he captured her hands in his and forced them above her head, knocking down a few picture frames as she struggled weakly against him. The shattering of the glass at their feet almost drowned out his next words.

"No one can help me" he growled before he descended on her.

His harsh kiss demanded that she respond, his tongue forcing its way past her lips to intertwine with hers in a frantic duel for dominance. Without warning John withdrew and bit down on her lower lip hard enough to draw blood, the sudden pain caused her to whimper and submit to him.

Her reaction seemed to affect him and slowly his kiss turned gentle, Helens' struggles ceased as he became tender, loving with his touch. His body was no longer crushing her to the wall and his grip no longer bruising her arms.

After a few moments John broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, his breath ragged as he tried to get himself under control. Something had changed within him and he was at a loss to explain it.

Helen gasped for air for a moment before she opened her eyes and met his, seeing a hunger in him that was different than before. He leaned forward and she closed her eyes again in anticipation of another kiss, confused passion filling her as their lips met.

She had forgotten what it felt like to be kissed by John, to be held in his arms as if she was the only thing in the universe. Her memories had not done him justice; in an instant she was transported back to the night she had agreed to be his wife, the feel of his lips against hers making her heart tremble and soar all in one instant.

John released her wrists and wrapped his arms around her, threading his fingers in her hair and groaning against her lips as she grabbed the back of his neck and crushed herself against him. He slid his leg between hers in an effort to get even closer and she gasped when his lips left hers to trail kisses up her neck. The moment his lips left hers reality hit her full force.

"Stop" she moaned, her hands pushing on his chest in an attempt to get some space between them. She couldn't think with him so close.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, confusion filling him until a sudden pounding at her bedroom door drew both of their attention. Bigfoot and Kate's calls to her were muffled by the solid oak; it would only be a matter of moments before they got through.

"John, let me go." The words were soft but sharp, a demanding request.

He turned back to her and growled; a dangerous look flashing across his face as he stepped back and forced her down onto the bed, shoving her onto it with enough force to make her roll to the other side. He quickly spun to face the door, his hand reached into his pocket and drawing his knife with a flick of his wrist.

"John… No!" Helen screamed as the door burst open, she scrambled to her feet as quickly as possible to prevent any bloodshed.

A snarl escaped John's lips as Bigfoot rushed in and attacked, the desire to rip the Abnormal apart filled John as he dodged to the side and spun to slash at the Bigfoot's back. He was unprepared for the sudden pain that hit him from behind, the shock making his knees buckle as he turned to the doorway.

Kate stood at the ready, both hands holding Henry's newest weapon pointed at John. He took a step forward and raised the knife towards her, a murderous look replacing the pain on his face. Kate pulled the trigger again and winced as John fell to his knees, stepping back as he tried to slash at her stomach. Her eyes flashed from John to Helen and back again before she pulled the trigger a third time.

He didn't stand a chance against the last shot; the knife dropped out of his hand and fell to the ground followed by his limp body. Helen crawled across the bed in an instant, dropping off the side to land on her knees next to John. She quickly pressed her fingers to his neck and felt for a pulse, after a few moments she sat back and tears filled her eyes.

"He's dead." She whispered.

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Ooohhh! Cliff Hanger! *dodges flying nubbins*

All reviewers will recieve cookies!


	2. Chapter 2

I want to thank all of the people who have reviewed and waited patiently for the next part of this story. You guys ROCK! also, a special thanks to my Beta Ari, who has never seen an episode of Sanctuary and has listened to my long rants and explinations on why this is the coolest show on television right now. Once again I own nothing here, I just play with the characters and make them do things that the actual writers would never put in the show. Raise you hand if you think that Helen and John need a kissing (or smut...) scene?

*Raises both hands and jumps up and down*

And now on with the next chapter

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Helen's hand flew to Jon's neck again in a vain attempt to find a pulse, it had been almost two minutes since Kate had shot him and they were running out of time. She felt Kate's eyes on her as she took the defibrillator paddles and got them ready.

"Tell me again why you're trying to bring a homicidal maniac back to life?"

Helen couldn't fault Kate for what she had done; there was little doubt in her mind that John would have killed her without remorse if she hadn't shot him first. Her voice was steady as she answered her question, but the guilt she felt more than made up for the unreadable expression on her face.

"It's more about compulsion that murder. I set him up for this, letting him loose on the Cabal. He knew I'd find out about his activities sooner or later. He wanted me to kill him but something changed his mind."

Kate shot her an incredulous look as Helen placed the paddles on John's chest.

"No offense, but you guys got a seriously messed up relationship."

"It's complicated." Helen bit back. "Charge the defibrillator." Her gaze flew to John's face as she shocked him; a twisted hope grew in her eyes as she searched his face for any signs of life. The first two shocks did nothing and Helen began to silently pray, something she hadn't done since Ashley had died.

"Please don't do this." She whispered as she shocked him a third time.

Helen quickly let go and jumped back as a power surge took over the room. She watched a bolt of electricity jump from the paddles to strike the computer, John's body arching in pain as they continued to send electricity through his body. A moment later it was over and he dropped down to the bed, angry red burns adorning his chest around the paddles. Helen quickly pulled them away and placed a finger to his neck to check for a pulse, relief flooded her as she watched John's chest slowly rising with each new breath and felt a slow but steady thrum against her fingers.

A sharp alarm blared from the computer and Kate's voice brought her out of the zone she was in. There was a problem in the infirmary.

"The Empath on oxygen." She realized, "It's gone off line; we need to get her back here as soon as possible." Helen's hand flew down to the walkie on her hip and she quickly instructed Will to bring the woman to the emergency room and get her taken care of. Henry's voice came on line less than a moment later.

"Doc, I need to do a major systems reboot. Can you live without your med services for a few nano-seconds?"

"Do it." She ordered, her gaze going to Kate as everything went off line. "Kate, go and make sure we didn't have any breaches in abnormal containment. We won't have full security until Henry's reboot is complete."

"You're cool hanging out with Jack the Ripper?" The concern in Kate's eyes made up for her sarcastic tone.

"He's no danger to anyone right now."

As soon as Kate left the O.R. Helen's gaze went back to John. Her statement hadn't been as honest as she had hoped. It was true that John couldn't hurt anyone physically in the state he was in, but the danger wasn't to her life as much as it was to her heart.

She watched him breathe for a moment before turning to see if the computer was back on line yet. She clenched her fists to try and bring herself under control; she couldn't afford to let her emotions get in the way right now. John's voice pulled her back from the edge.

"Helen," He whispered and she spun around to look at him. His eyes were barely open as he tried to look at her. "I don't know why… I feel so strange."

"I know you wanted this to end more quickly," She said, her eyes soft and sad as she looked at him. "I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"Why did you bring me back?" he asked her, the pain he felt evident in his voice. She stared at him for a moment, unsure of the answer herself.

In the end it didn't matter, John fell unconscious before she could begin to formulate an answer. Less than a moment later she was sitting next to him with a syringe filled with her own blood, prompted by a compulsion she didn't understand to end his pain. She gently rolled up his sleeve and gave him the injection, her eyes going to his face as she quickly sorted him to rights.

Moments later Will rolled the Empath into the room and she quickly set up a new oxygen feed, forcing herself to ignore the look that Will was giving her. As soon as the Empath was stable her attention went back to the recovering man on the bed.

He was alert again and watching her as she walked towards him, his expression thoughtful as she helped him off the bed and handcuffed his wrists together.

"What now Helen?" He asked as she picked up her gun, the absence of pain told him that she had given him the one thing that would make him recover so fast. She ignored his question and told him to move. His feet seemed to know where she wanted him to go, the almost silent sound of their footsteps was the only sound he heard as they walked towards the Schu.

Helen walked him into his cell, her unwavering voice breaking the silence.

"The EM shield is at full strength, attempt to teleport and you will die."

"I understand." He whispered as he walked further into the room.

"This is my fault John. I should never have believed that you could change. That you _had_ changed."

John's shoulders tensed at her words and she hated herself for believing that her faith in him would be enough. She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice as she asked him the one thing that had been plaguing her mind for hours.

"How many have there been since…"

"Since you let me back in?" he supplied, his voice low and emotionless. "Does it matter?" He heard her take in a shaky breath before turning to face her accusations.

"You've been killing again, and not just Cabal remnants." Her eyes followed him as he slowly walked the length of the room.

"Does it matter that I never wanted it to begin again? That I tried to stop Helen? I tried."

Helen's heart broke as he turned to face her again; the almost dead expression on his face tore into her.

"This is Whitechapel all over again." She said as she tried to fight her tears. John's gaze was unsettling and she pulled herself back under control.

"I'm arranging for your transfer to a secure facility out of the country." Her hand disappeared into her pocket for a moment before she tossed him the key to the handcuffs. "You're far too dangerous to ever be free again."

John looked down at the key and stared at it as if he couldn't believe that she would unshackle him. A sudden flickering of the light quickly drew his attention and he watched Helen spin towards the rapidly closing door to see what was happening. She quickly went to the control panel and entered her security code with no result. She spun around to face John and watched him with a wary eye as he stared her down; her hand was tense on her gun as she watched him contemplate his next move.

He slowly looked down at his hands and made short work of the handcuffs before turning to set them on the table, turning back to Helen as she raised her gun.

"Stay exactly where you are." She ordered as she brought her walkie up to her mouth, her voice sharp as she tried to get in touch with her people. Nerves attacked Helen as she received no reply; the gun lowering slightly as she reached for her cell phone to check for a signal. Her gaze snapped back to John as he a step towards her and she quickly raised the gun again.

"Do not even think about teleporting," she warned, rocking back on her heals as he continued slowly forward. "The EM shield stays active in lock down mode."

"I have no intention of escaping" he told her, stopping under the light. "I will answer for my actions."

"Don't try me John." She told him, unable to break her gaze away from his.

"I'm quite serious Helen… Something has changed."

Heat flooded her body as her mind flashed back to the moment he had pinned her to the wall.

"Stop." She commanded as he took another step towards her, the gun wavering slightly in her grip.

"If you'll let me, I'd like to help." His gaze was disarming.

"Stop talking." She snapped. "On your knees, hands where I can see them."

He slowly lowered himself and looked back up at Helen.

"Better?" He whispered.

Helen couldn't tear her eyes away from his; something in the way he was looking at her was making it hard to breath. The lights flickered for a moment, plunging them into sudden darkness and then blaring back to life; their gazes never wavered from each other.

"This really is none of my doing," he said, "otherwise, why would I still be here?"

"Accidental or not, I will shoot you if you give me reason." Her voice was thick with emotion and her hand tensed on the weapon.

"That is very clear."

Helen took a deep breath before forcing herself to look around the room, trying to piece everything together.

"None of this makes any sense!" She thought out loud before looking back at John. "Lockdown shouldn't cut off our communications or jam our radio and phone signals. Henry's overrides must not be working." She averted her gaze and tensed with worry.

"Helen, I know there's no good time but I need you to understand something." The lights flickered again.

"What _is_ this?" Helen asked, fright and frustration in her voice.

"It's as if a part of me has been severed."

She shot him a confused look before the old intercom system blared to life behind her, the big guys voice filled with static as he tried to make contact.

"Can anyone hear me?" He growled.

"Yes, I can. Where are you?" Helen's voice was borderline hysterical.

"Elevator."

"There's been a malfunction in the security system. I need assistance." She had to get away from John. His eyes were haunting her.

"You're not the only one."

A moment later they were all connected and trying to figure out what was going on. Helen kept her gun pointed at John as they talked, not trusting him to stay on the ground. His eyes followed her as she shifted her weight, the lines of her body tense as they discussed what was happening. After a moment of debate Will started on to something.

"You know, this all started right after Henry rebooted the entire system. Everything was fine and then-"

"The system overloaded. It must have damaged the automated commands running the sanctuary." It was a possible scenario and one that they could counter given enough time. Helen's attention snapped back to John as he got to his feet and she tensed up again.

"Helen when you revived me…"

"The overload." Realization dawned on Helen. "The massive energy surge."

"I feel different. Purged." His voice was quiet.

"It came from you." Disbelief colored her tone.

"I think so." He said sadly.

Helen had no idea what it meant but she had an idea on how to see if he was right. She quickly instructed Henry to shock the electrical panel. If her theory was correct then this experiment would prove it.

The lights flickered again and Helen got her answer. There was an electrical based abnormal lose in the Sanctuary.

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I realize that this chapter is almost exactly like the episode, but it was a necessary step to get to the next capter.

I live for feedback, so let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

*Waves* Hi there! I want to thank all my reviewers and my beta Ari, without her advice I would still be staring at a blank page right about now… Once again I own nothing here, just the slight (but important!) differences in the plot.

And now campers… To OZ! (I watch WAY too much Stargate!) Lol

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"Something very much alive is in control of the sanctuary." Fear spiked through Helen as she realized what they were facing. John looked guiltily at her before turning his gaze to the floor.

"It's violent, remorseless, relentless, and it won't give up ground without a fight. Think of it as facing me." He said loud enough for the others to hear. He looked sadly at Helen before breaking eye contact again.

"Once it has full control of this facility it will be unstoppable. It could easily spread to the city and beyond." Helen lowered the gun to her side; it was completely useless against the force they were facing. "Henry we need-."

"The defense protocols, you got it doc." Henry replied. "I just need to be able to feed it into the network."

"Which won't be easy." Helen bit her lip in frustration.

"Fill me in." Will demanded.

Helen looked at John. "Energy creatures often behave like viruses. They forge a parasitic relationship with whatever host environment they can invade." There was no doubt in her mind that John had not been in control of himself.

Moments later they had formed a plan and the intercom fell silent as they all tried to carry out their parts, the first of which included knocking out their individual security cameras as politely as possible.

Helen looked at their camera high up on the wall behind John and brushed passed him, her grip tightening on her gun as she stopped below it. There was no way that she would be able to reach the camera without assistance.

John had turned to watch Helen as she went to carry out their task, noting the distance between the camera and the floor. It was up too far for either of them to reach without standing on something, but both the table and the chair were bolted to the floor.

Helen jumped as John slid in between her and the wall, his sudden proximity startling her. She had forgotten how quickly he could move. He slowly reached for her and took the gun from her hand, tossing it lightly onto the table on the far side of the room before turning back to her and gently placing his hands on her waist. He could feel the tension in her muscles as he maneuvered them into a position where he could lift her to unplug the camera.

"Ready?" He whispered, his eyes staring deeply into hers.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. He tensed his grip and lifted her into the air, holding her in place while she quickly pulled the wires that connected the camera to the security system. A sudden spark jumped to her hand causing her to yelp in fright.

John heard her cry out and quickly lowered her, intent on getting her as far away from the outlet as possible. She gasped at the sudden movement and without thinking she wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him. John looked down and met her wide eyes before his gaze traveled to her slightly parted lips, her chest pressed against his with every breath she took. He tightening his grip on her hips as her lower body pressed against him, his body's involuntary reaction betraying his sudden lust. After a moment of stunned silence Helen's brain caught up with her.

"Put me down, I'm fine" She said, her mind going a million miles an hour as she tried not to think about how right felt to be in his arms. The feel of him against her in such an intimate way her scared her to death.

"You said you feel… different. What did you mean by that?" She asked in a breathy voice, quickly backing away from him as he set her back on her feet; she needed space to think about all this.

"The darkness within me is gone… completely" he choked out, the sudden loss of her body heat making him shake with need.

"It must have been when I restarted your heart. The creature jumped from you into the facility itself." She took a step towards him and stopped, not sure if she could handle being close to him.

"But how did it end up inside of me in the first place? I have no recollection of ever encountering it before."

"You wouldn't have to! God, it actually makes sense!" She spun around and paced a few steps before turning back to him, glad for the distraction from her treacherous libido. "Every time you teleport you convert your molecular structure to pure energy. The creature could have latched onto you during one of your jumps, integrated into your being when you rematerialized"

"Its influence is gone." A hopeful look crossed his face. "Is it not possible this entity was the sole cause of my bloodlust? That it's been polluting my soul since it began using my power?"

There was an almost physical pain in her body as she stepped closer to John, the urge to touch him almost overwhelming her.

"I want to believe you John… but it's far too easy to blame everything you've done on something else."

"Yes… you're right" He said, his voice low and his eyes diverted again as he tried not to let his pain show on his face.

"My mind is... so clear." He smiled slightly. "As it was when we first met."

Helen tilted her head to the side and let the tears fill her eyes. She wanted to believe him so badly she was aching inside.

"That thing _was_ my rage." He insisted. "I'm sure of it."

He watched her closely as she took a shaky breath, surprised at the feeling that stirred in him when he saw a single tear make a path down her cheek.

"Doc!" Henry's voice broke the silence between them, the panic in it shocking both Helen and John out of the little bubble they had been in. "It's looking for something!"

They both turned towards to intercom and John watched Helen's body tense up.

"It's scanning our chemical directory!"

John turned towards Helen. "How could it actually access those compounds?" he asked.

"Using the robotic assist mechanism, it is possible." Helen clenched her fists at her side before turning back to the intercom. "What else could it be after?" Before Henry could answer they were cut off from each other again. She spun towards John and asked him what the creatures' agenda would be.

John made a noise in the back of his throat. "Chaos, death, suffering… sound familiar?" Helen looked down at his chest as he continued. "Once it's learned everything it can about its environment the violence will escalate."

Helen's eyes flashed up to his before she turned to the back of the cell, there was nothing that they could do but wait until something else happened. John's eyes followed Helen's movements hungrily as she walked over to sit on the table; it frustrated him that he could do nothing for her. He waited for her to turn around before approaching her, keeping his movements slow as not to alarm her again. They sat in relative silence for a moment before he spoke.

"When did you know?" he asked, deliberately not meeting her gaze.

"When did I know what?" she asked, taking her cue from him and keeping her eyes on the door.

"That I was the Ripper."

Pain flooded Helen and she took a sharp breath. Of all the questions he had to ask, it had to be the one that was certain to tear her to pieces.

"The same day I found out I was pregnant with Ashley." Silence filled the room and John had to fight to keep his expression neutral as he waited for her to elaborate.

"I went to your house that night to tell you and followed you to Berner Street… I knew then that you were no longer the man I loved."

John took a shaky breath at her pain filled words.

"I couldn't believe it was you that I saw committing that horrible crime." Her voice was unsteady. "I ran away blindly and somehow I ended up at Nikola's door, he took me in and helped calm me down enough to tell him what was going on… you know the rest."

John tensed at the mention of Nikola's name and felt a phantom sting in the scar on his cheek, the memory of the night of their confrontation coming to the front of his mind.

"I convinced James to help me freeze the embryo; I couldn't bear to bring our child into the world knowing that you might still be out there. I waited over a hundred years until I felt safe enough to carry Ashley to term." It hurt Helen to tell him all this, but he needed to know. "Nine months later I held the most beautiful being I have ever seen in my arms."

John couldn't help himself; he reached over and gently squeezed Helens hand.

"I am sorry for all the pain I have caused you." He whispered.

"It doesn't matter now." She said, pulling her hand from his. "Ashley is gone."

There was another power fluctuation and the lights flickered for a moment.

"I believe your people have risen to the occasion." He said as they both got to their feet.

"Of course they have." She said distractedly as Henry's panicked voice came from the walkie on her hip. The creature was using the automated assist to create something and Henry was still locked out of the controls for the lab. Helen and John shared a look before he reached over and wrapped his hand around Helen's to press the talk button. Helen's eyes shot to his and she took a sharp breath.

"Mr. Foss, can you open the door?" He asked, letting go of her hand as if it had burned him.

"Doc?"

"It's alright Henry." She assured him, her eyes meeting Johns for a second before the door buzzed open.

They both swiftly made their way to the lab, quickly finding their way blocked by the blast doors. Henry looked up from his control tablet as they came to a stop in front of him, an apologetic look on his face as Helen looked to him for an answer.

"A Sarin Gas nerve agent, we've got about 90 seconds before it'll release the compound into the vents."

John placed his hand against the blast door. There was nothing else for it.

"It won't end here, it will grow consuming whatever it can and never stop killing." He turned to face Helen. This was going to hurt.

"Henry we need more time." Helen was panicking; she knew what John was planning to do.

"We don't have it." His voice was low and Helen searched his eyes, pleading with him not to do it.

Will quickly rounded the corner and came to stand by Henry.

"What's happening now?" he asked, his eyes going to Helen and John who were both seemingly wrapped up in their own little world.

John stepped closer to Helen, fighting the urge to pull her to him. "My entire body is geared towards being its home."

"John-."

"Let me go."

"John you don't have to do this." Helen pleaded. "We can find a way-."

"I love you." The words flew from him without thought. "Remember that… always?"

He stared into Helen's eyes for a moment longer, willing her to let him do this, to take the beast back inside of him to save her. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, neither one wanting to give in to the others silent request. A look of despair came into Helen's eyes and John knew that was the only agreement he was going to get. Seeing that look in her eyes and knowing he was the cause of it would haunt him for the rest of his days.

"Mr. Foss, would you be so kind as to deactivate the EM shield?"

Helen broke eye contact and nodded to Henry. It took her a moment to be able to look at John again and what she saw in his eyes pierced her heart. He quickly leaned forward and placed his hand on the side of her neck, pulling her towards him before pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.

"For all eternity." He whispered.

Anguish filled Helen as John teleported into the lab, there was nothing she could do to stop him.

Moments later Henry was able to get the door open and panic filled Helen when she saw John's body on the ground.

"I need a med kit right away!" She cried as she rushed over to him and quickly turned him onto his back. Her hand flew to his neck to check for a pulse and his eyes snapped open.

"Get away from me!" He snarled as he shoved her away, before quickly rolling to his feet.

Helen landed painfully on her backside before scrambling to her feet, her eyes stinging with unwanted tears as she took in the conflicted expression on his face. "Please let me help you." she begged.

"I don't need your help." He snarled at her, at war with the creature inside of him.

"It would have killed a lot more if it weren't for you. You kept it at bay." Helen wanted to scream at how unfair it was. John grimaced in pain.

"I need to leave now." He said; the struggle wasn't to keep from hurting her, but to keep from taking her right there on the laboratory floor.

"Where are you going?" Helen asked, her hand reaching out to him.

"I have no destination in mind."

Helen froze at his words.

"John, wait!"

He was gone in an instant, the swirling of the dust motes left behind in his absence the only indication he had ever been there at all.

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Cookies for everyone!


	4. Chapter 4

Hi All! Once again I own nothing that you will read below, just appreciation for all the reviews I have received as well as the imagination that lead me to using characters from the wonderful show Sanctuary for my own personal amusement. Major thanks to my beta Ari for her wonderful talent as well as to a fellow Helen/John shipper over on the forum at gateworld. Thank you so much aerilon452, your help was much appreciated!

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Helen stood silently staring into space, lost in the void that was left by John. She was snapped back to reality by Will's voice.

"Magnus." Will tried, gently placing his hand on Helen's arm. The dead look on her face scared him more that he thought possible.

"I need to be alone Will." She didn't look at him as she stepped away from him and left the lab, leaving the others to deal with the aftermath of the attack. They stared after her as she disappeared around the corner, not quite believing what they saw.

Helen knew that it was only a matter of time until they started talking about her and she wanted to be as far away as possible before she broke down. She passed Kate in the hall without acknowledgment; there was a haunted look on her face as she walked through the abnormal enclosures. As she got farther away she heard them start talking in low voices.

Helen made her way to the Nubbin enclosure with the intention of grabbing one of the little furballs and taking it with her to her room. She stood at the viewing window for a moment and watched the creatures ambling around, her mind going back to the day Ashley had said that she was going to keep one as a pet. Shaking away the memory she quickly entered her security code and walked into the freezing room, a humorless smile crossed her face when all of the nubbins went into camouflage mode. She slowly squatted down and held out her hand, waiting for one of them to decide to investigate. Once she had picked up the tiny Nubbin she exited the enclosure, locking the door behind her and gently placing the creature in a containment unit for transport to her room.

It wasn't until she was curled up on her bed with the Nubbin snuggling up to her chest that she let go. Tears poured down her cheeks and soaked her pillow as she mentally relived their last moments together, the emotions she had kept bottled up inside for over a hundred years hitting her full force. She was alone in the world, Ashley was gone and so was John.

She didn't know how long she stayed like that; her only sign of how much time had passed was the changing sunlight as it filtered in through the curtains. After what felt like hours she heard a gentle knock on her door, the slight shuffling sound outside gave her a clue as to who it was. She gently picked up the now sleeping Nubbin and placed it on her pillow, her heart aching as it continued its slumber as if nothing was wrong with the world. She walked over to the door and opened it to find the Big Guy holding a tray, his concern evident in the amount of food on the plate.

"You need to eat something." He growled.

Helen stepped back and allowed him to enter; he was the only one she would ever allow to see her like this. He set the tray on her bedside table and grunted at the sleeping Nubbin on her pillow before leaving the room, pulling the door closed behind him with a gentle click. The tea's scent filled the room and gave Helen a small amount of comfort. Moments later Helen was curled up on the other side of her bed with the teacup in hand, taking a sip every now and then as she tried to force herself to care about how much damage the abnormal had done to her Sanctuary. It didn't seem to matter anymore.

Days passed before she was able to let the Big Guy take the Nubbin back to its habitat, she didn't want to be alone but it wasn't fair to the creature to keep it isolated from its family. She didn't leave her room until the fifth day after John's departure when the sound of will arguing with the Big Guy outside her door forced her to get out of bed.

She opened the door and Will stared at her for a moment. She was in a long nightgown and her hair was a mass of tangled curls around her shoulders. He quickly realized that he was gawking and forced himself to look away as he entered the room. Once he regained his composure he turned to face her as she closed the door behind them. Helen walked over to the chair she had placed facing the window and sat down, not caring if Will joined her or not. The sound of another chair scraping along the carpet told her that she was in for an intervention.

"Magnus, what happened wasn't your fault."

She took a deep breath and interrupted Will before he could carry on.

"I know that Will. It doesn't change the fact that it happened." Helen refused to meet his eyes, turning her gaze to the sunrise outside her window instead. "I know things have been difficult and I really appreciate you all giving me some time."

Will waited for her to continue and sighed when he realized that was all he was going to get out of her. He leaned forward and tried to get her to look at him, his hand gentle as he placed it on her arm.

"You mourning Druitt alone isn't going to do yourself or anyone else any good." He told her. "You know that we're all here for you if you ever need to talk, all you have to do is ask." Seeing his efforts were doing nothing he left her alone to her thoughts, closing the door behind him as he went.

Hours later when Henry walked into her study he nearly jumped when he saw that Helen was sitting at her desk working on new reports. The dark circles under her eyes were the only indication of her grief.

"Henry, thank you for getting everything taken care of so quickly, I trust there were no problems with getting the security systems reset."

Henry stared at Helen for a moment before starting himself out of it.

"Yeah, no problem!" He said enthusiastically, a tight smile on his face as he tried not to show how worried he had been. "I hate to be the one to tell you that we're going to have a pretty high energy bill this month. That thing sucked juice like nothing I've ever seen before."

The corners of Helen's mouth twitched.

"That's to be expected. Thank you Henry."

Henry knew he had been dismissed and grabbed one of the many acquisition reports on the corner of her desk before he made his exit. He knew it was going to take time, but he had faith that soon enough Helen was going to bounce back.

The rest of the morning passed quickly until Helen called everyone into her study for a meeting. After learning about some new residents and discussing a few reports Helen made an announcement.

"I know that you all were expecting me to stay here for the next few days but I've decided to follow up on reports of a nest of Luduan in China."

"Luduan?" Will's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think of where he had heard that name before. Helen stood up and handed each of them a file before starting to explain.

"According to Chinese mythology, a Luduan was a small creature that could detect the truth. It was said that in the Qing Dynasty the Qianlong Emperor surrounded his throne with them in order to properly subdue his subjects. These Abnormals are very rare; I've only ever encountered two of them due to their incredibly short life span. A nest of them has been unheard of."

"You're going after a bunch of furry little lie detectors?"

Helen's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she nodded.

"I've already filed my flight plan; I trust that you all will be able to handle things here for a few days?"

They all nodded and tried to smile reassuringly at Helen as they got to their feet to go carry out their various tasks. Helen waited for everyone to exit the room before calling the Big Guy back, waiting until he had closed the door behind him and was standing next to her desk before telling him why she had asked him to stay.

"You know me well enough by now to know that I have no intention of going to China."

He nodded at her words and bared his teeth, not liking where this was headed.

"I've received reports of animal attacks in the Bruce Peninsula National Park in Ontario. Several tourists have died in recent days and all the evidence suggests that a Wendigo has taken up residence near the Grotto."

"It's too dangerous." He growled at her. He had almost died the last time they had tried to deal with a Wendigo and he knew that she was in no shape to take one on by herself.

Helen quickly stepped around her desk to stand in front of him, her eyes pleading with him to understand.

"You of all people can understand why I need to do this."

He grimaced at her before nodding in understanding.

"When will you leave?"

Helen took a deep breath before looking down at her shoes.

"In a little over an hour."

They stared at each other for a moment before Helen impulsively took a step closer and wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. The probability of her not surviving was far too great not to show some form of her appreciation. He stiffened in her embrace and she pulled back, a sad smile on her face as she went about setting things up for her absence.

When her plane landed four hours later Helen had no problems getting to the park, her contact had been very specific about the location and she was able to get there before the sun went down. She quickly set up a perimeter in a large clearing near the cliff, experience told her that the creature would be out as soon as night fell and a woman on her own would make an appetizing target. A normal case would call for tranquilizer darts, but when facing a Wendigo, extermination would be her only course of action.

There was only one thing that Helen hadn't counted on, and that was the sudden downpour of a summer rainstorm. Visibility was poor and the frequent thunder claps would mask any sound the creature would make in its approach. She stood with her back to a tree, her eyes searching the clearing for any movement as she waited for the coming attack. She wasn't disappointed, a few moments later the creature stepped out of the tree line, dragging its sharp claws on the ground and making a chilling clicking noise in its throat as it advanced on her.

Helen snapped into action and rapidly fired three at the creature before it was on her. The Wendigo roared in anger and grabbed her, twisting her arm until she dropped the weapon before throwing her out into the clearing. She landed hard and rolled a few feet through the mud, tempted to just stay down and let the creature have her. She dug her fingers into the ground and waited for the death blow.

"Mom, get up!"

Ashley's voice came from all around her and Helen quickly looked up, half expecting to see her daughter standing in front of her. Lightning lit up the clearing and she saw was the Wendigo slowly stalking towards her.

"Mom!"

"I can't." She cried as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You have to!"

Something in her daughter's voice forced her to get a grip and fight back. She quickly got to her feet and scrambled to her gun, spinning around and taking the safety off in one smooth motion. Her knuckles turned white as the Wendigo came to a stop less than five feet away, its teeth bared and claws at the ready to tear her apart.

"What are you waiting for?" Helen screamed, brandishing her gun at the creature. "Come and get me!"

The creature snarled at her and she pulled the trigger once, the bullet digging deep into the Wendigo's chest before it swiped the gun out of her hand. She cried out in pain as it split open the back of her hand and took a step back only to run into a tree trunk. She pressed back into it while applying pressure to the cuts and tried to formulate another plan in her mind, her eyes on the Wendigo as it moved in for another swipe. There was no way out, it was over.

"I'm sorry Ashley." She whispered before she closed her eyes and waited for the blinding pain, the heavy rain fall and her labored breathing were the only sounds in the clearing. A sort of peace filled her as she took what she thought would be her last breath, but the sudden sound of someone teleporting into the clearing jolted her from her inner reflection. Her eyes snapped open and focused on a face she never thought she would see again.

He was standing behind the Wendigo, the sudden sound of his appearance drew the creature's attention from her to its new advisory and the creature turned around to face him. Lightning flashed again and it lit up the murderous look on his face, there was no way he was going to let the creature have her.

John struck quickly, launching himself towards the creature and teleported to its other side to land a devastating blow to its unprotected back. The Wendigo roared in pain and anger as it swiped its claws at him only to catch empty air as John teleported away. There was a flash of silver as John appeared at the creatures' side, growling dangerously as he buried his knife deep into it. The Wendigo snarled and spun, catching him in the chest with its closed fist and knocking him on his back. It reached for the knife still stuck in its side and threw it away before pouncing on the spot John had previously occupied.

Helen watched as John appeared on top of the creature, his hands going around its head to deliver a savage twist that broke its neck. The now dead creature fell to the ground with John on top of it and he looked up from the corpse to Helen with the same murderous look on his face. Less than an instant later she felt strong arms wrap around her and the world spun around them.

They landed in the empty Grotto, thunder echoing into its dark depths as lightning flashed through the sky. For a moment Helen hung disoriented in his arms, her fingertips digging into his biceps as she tried to regain her sense of ground. John looked down into her eyes and saw the anger in them. Without warning she ripped herself out of his arms and slapped him, swaying slightly as she fought the dizziness that accompanied teleportation.

"How could you do that to me?" she sobbed, angry tears spilled down her cheeks as she raised her hand to do it again. John growled and caught her arm in mid swing, using her momentum and instability to jerk her body into his.

"You only get one." He snarled, slamming her back into the wall of the cave. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Fury flashed through him and the creature inside of him screamed in anger. He had to struggle not to give in to its desire to punish her. He involuntarily tightened his grip on her arm and Helen let out a sob; without warning she reached up and wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck before dragging his lips down to hers.

It was like kissing lightning, the adrenalin from the fight and the feel of her tongue sliding along his arousing him in a way he hadn't experienced in over a hundred years. He let go of her arm and reached down to grab the back of her thighs, jerking her up until she was in the perfect position to feel what she had done to him. She pulled her head back and gasped as he ground into her, making a strangled noise in the back of her throat as he swallow the sound with another bruising kiss. Soon it wasn't enough, both his and the creatures need to have her overrode all thought; he quickly reached down to get rid of the clothing separating them and groaned as he entered her, her grip tightened painfully on his shoulders as he started to move.

There was no gentleness in the action as he slammed his hips into hers; the rough rock digging into her back forced her to arch into him with each jerk of his hips, taking him deeper and deeper until she could feel his harsh thrusts in her soul. Hot tears rolled down to her neck and John hungrily lapped them up, his tongue dancing on her skin as he raced towards completion. All he could concentrate on was the feel of her fingernails digging into his shoulders and the sound of skin on skin. He leaned down and harshly bit her neck, marking her as his for the world to see. The fury inside of him dissipated slowly as he took her against the cave wall until an almost silent whimper snapped his focus back to Helen.

All of his animalistic urges left him and he froze as he realized what the beast inside of him had made him do. His heart nearly stopped as Helen trembled in his arms, her head buried in his shoulder and her tears hot against his damp skin. Shame filled him and he moved to pull away, stopped only by Helen's wavering plea.

"Don't stop." John couldn't believe his ears. Helen raised her head and met his gaze; he stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity before she took a deep shuddering breath. "Please. Don't stop."

His heart tightened in his chest as her words sunk in. He slowly slid his hands up from her thighs to give her better support as she locked her ankles behind his back and rocked her hips against his.

Helen knew it was wrong but she didn't care. The feel of his flesh gliding along hers had awakened the part of her that she had buried the day she had found out he had become a killer. She moaned as John started trailing kisses from the mark on her neck up to her ear, taking a sharp breath as he gently nibbled on the lobe before his lips found their way to hers. The tenderness in his kiss forced her to remember the reason why she had loved him in the first place. No one had ever made her feel the way that John did. She gasped into his mouth as he slowly started moving again, ecstasy coursing through her veins as he took them higher with each stroke.

Helen reached her peak first, crying out as she dug her fingernails into him and buried her face in his shoulder. She closed her eyes and a quiet keening sound escaped her lips as he kept rocking his hips. John held out for as long as he could while she broke apart in his arms, keeping his movements at a slow and torturous rate until he couldn't hold back anymore. The feel of him coming inside her set Helen off again and she sunk her teeth into his shoulder, whimpering in the aftershocks of their coupling.

They stood like that for several moments before he gently pulled out and set her on her feet, he took a few steps back and started to fix his clothes, keeping his eyes on the ground as she did the same. Helen quickly pulled up her pants and tried to do them up, her hands trembling as she fumbled with the now useless button; John had literally ripped her clothes of.

After they were dressed they stared at each other for a moment before John opened his arms to her. She quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his torso, fresh tears filling her eyes as he held her tightly in his arms.

"I thought you were dead." She said, her voice stronger than it had been since he had brought them to the cave. John buried his face in her hair and pressed a kiss to her temple

"I'm sorry." He whispered, pulling back and leading her over to the cave wall again. Together they sunk to the ground and John pulled Helen into his lap, the beast inside of him strangely silent as he held her in his arms.

Helen gently reached out and slid her hand into his, twining their fingers together before bringing them to her lips. She gently kissed his bruised knuckles before lowering their joined hands into her lap, her thumb gently stroking his as she leaned back into his chest.

Helen's breathing soon evened out and she fell asleep in his arms, her head resting against his and her heartbeat steady against his chest. He kissed her temple again and leaned his head back to rest against the wall; lowering his gaze to their hands he tried to imagine what life would have been like if he had never been taken over by the monster inside of him.

They would have gotten married sooner than he had anticipated; the fact that Helen was carrying his child would have demanded it. He smiled at the thought of Ashley in the 1800's, finding it hard to believe that their tough as nails daughter would have fit in well into that timeframe. As if she could sense his train of thought, Helen shifted against him slightly and a sad but peaceful smile crossed her face.

Hours passed as he held her in his arms and he spent the time memorizing each line of her face and picking out the features that she had passed on to their daughter. The shape of her eyes and the slight dimples when she smiled came to mind but what really struck him were Helen's hands. Ashley had inherited her mother's long slender fingers, capable of saving so many lives as well as taking them if needed. Ashley had been a lot like her mother, strong, independent, lovable, and beautiful.

Helen tightened her grip on his hand and sighed, snuggling deeper into his shoulder as if to try and distract him from the thoughts in his mind. It seemed to John as if she hadn't had a moment's worth of sleep since he had teleported out of her lab almost a week before. Her reaction to his death was more than enough to make him wonder how he could have let the beast get the better of him. All he had ever wanted was right here in his arms and pain filled him as he realized what his next step would be; he had no choice but to let her go. He couldn't control the beast any more than she could control her impulse to save every creature or human she met.

Helen stirred in his arms and opened her eyes, a light sheen of tears shimmering in them as she met his gaze.

"It wasn't a dream." She whispered in awe, letting go of his hand to gently touch his cheek. John leaned into her caress, his eyes not leaving hers as he pressed a kiss to her wrist.

"How did you know I needed you?" She asked.

"I can't explain it." He said, running his hand up her back to her neck. "A voice inside of me told me that I had to get to you."

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and breathing in her scent. She raised her head and gently pressed her lips to his, breaking away after less than a moment of contact and then burying her face in his chest. They held each other tightly for a few more moments before John pulled them both to their feet, dreading what he had to do next. Helen seemed to sense his intent and tears immediately started to pour down her cheeks

"You can't leave me." She begged him, her whole body shaking with each sob.

"I can't stay... it's not safe." He whispered, pulling her into his arms and gently stroking her hair until she could breathe without sobbing. "I promise I will not leave this life without you." He vowed.

He kissed her one last time, pouring all of his feelings into it before teleporting out of the cave. Helen stood in silence for a moment before her legs gave out from underneath her. She landed painfully on her knees and buried her face in her hands, her whole body shuddering as she gave into her tears.

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Review please! Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

YAY FOR NEW CHAPTERS!

Thank you all for being so patient! My chapter was held ransom by my beta for WEEKS and she finally gave me the finished version about an hour ago. Hope you all enjoy!

Once again, I own nothing here... blah blah blah... I promise to put the characters back when I'm finished playing with my Magnett. XD

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One Month Later

Helen felt a small relief that the result of the pregnancy test was negative, but an even greater and surprising disappointment as she contemplated what could have been. She hadn't been certain that she wanted a child to begin with, but having Ashley had turned out to be the one thing that had made her whole life make sense.

Her mind strayed at the thought of Ashley and a pain filled her heart. Ashley would have been a wonderful big sister. Tears pricked her eyes as she glanced at the words again and she quickly wiped them away before crumpling the paper and tossing it into the trash. It would do her no good to cry over what might have been, or to let it distract her from finding a way to rid John of the creature without endangering his life again.

When Helen had returned from Ontario she didn't allot herself even a few hours to get settled in before throwing herself into her research. Will had followed her into her lab and enquired about her trip only to be given a short answer of 'I didn't find anything. Now if you would excuse me, I really do need to get back to work.' After Will had shut the door behind him she had immersed herself in her experiments until she had been a step away from exhaustion, only then did she allow herself a short break. Less than four hours later she was back in the lab to continue her work.

Science had allowed Helen to make a discovery that she had not been able to make back in the 1880's. She had taken a sample of John's blood both before and after they had shocked the creature out of him and the comparison was alarming. The blood taken before they had discovered the abnormal residing in him was charged with Electricity, reminiscent of Nikola's blood without the Vampire traits. The blood that was taken just minutes after the creature had jumped from John into the Sanctuary had no traces of electricity in it. Further tests had lead Helen to the conclusion that, rather than a single entity residing in John's brain like she had been theorizing, the creature integrated itself into each and every cell in John's body.

Unfortunately this discovery had been made two weeks ago and Helen had made no further progress.

Helen was about to peer through her microscope at her latest experiment when she was pulled from her observation by the sound of the door opening. The Big Guy entered the room with a fresh pot of tea and a plate of toast; refusing to meet her eye, he set the tray down and turned to leave. Helen quickly placed her hand on his arm and thanked him for bringing it to her, sadness filling her as he nodded and left the room. It had been a month and he still had not said anything to her since he had treated the wound on her hand.

She watched him shut the door behind him and turned to the tray, puzzled when she saw the telegram nestled between the teapot and her saucer. She picked up a piece of toast and nibbled on the corner as she flipped the paper over and perused the message. She stopped chewing as irritation filled her and she quickly set the toast back on her plate.

_Helen,_

_I find myself in need of your assistance. Meet me in Rome and I'll make it worth your while._

_Tesla_

_P.S. Wear something sexy, dinner is on me._

Helen crumpled the paper and dropped it into the waste bin. Nikola's gall never ceased to amaze her. After everything she had done for him over half a century ago, he was demanding that she drop everything to come to him. Again.

She finished her breakfast and drank her tea in silence, her mind going a hundred miles an hour in preparation for her flight to Rome. She glanced at the clock and grimaced. There was something to be said about getting up at four in the morning. If she left within the hour she could be there by dinnertime that night. She left her lab and ran into a bedraggled Will in the hall; he was clearly on his way to the kitchen for his morning coffee and had nearly knocked her over.

"Whoa, didn't expect to see you out of your lab." At the look on her face he quickly ran his hand through his hair, making it stand up at ridiculous angles. "Sorry Magnus, you know me when I haven't had my coffee yet." He said apologetically as he shuffled his weight from side to side. Helen had the strangest urge to ruffle his hair in an uncharacteristic show of affection. He really was adorable when he was trying to wake up in the morning.

"That's quite alright Will." She said with a smile. "I was actually on my way to see you. Something has come up with an old friend of mine and I need to leave for Rome immediately. I trust that you don't mind if I leave you in charge for a few days?"

Will smiled and shook his head. "Nope, not at all. Have a safe flight." He said with a smile before making an uneven beeline towards his morning caffeine. Helen smiled as she watched him walk away and shook her head.

When her plane landed hours later she made her way to the hotel that she knew Nikola would be staying at. The fact that there was a lecture about the life of Nikola Tesla and his contributions to society only solidified Helen's belief that he would be there. After running upstairs and quickly freshening up, Helen found herself walking through the lobby towards the private conference rooms in search of the arrogant vampire.

Sure enough he was leaning against a pillar just outside of the conference room with a smile on his face. Helen stopped about two feet away and tilted her head to the side expectantly as Nikola quickly straightened up and closed the distance between them.

"Helen Magnus." He greeted her, a full blow smile on his face. "Kiss me and I'll save your life."

Helen arched her eyebrow. "And if I don't?" she asked, intrigued by his words. She wasn't in any danger that she knew of. Nikola just smiled and pointed to his cheek.

"It's been over 60 years; just plant one on me already."

Helen watched him for a moment, past experience convincing her that he was up to something. Sure enough, just as she was about to kiss his cheek he turned his head and pressed his lips against hers.

Helen jolted as electricity tickled her lips and she quickly grabbed his arms to push him away. She took a sharp breath and attempted to bury her irritation.

"Nikola Tesla, you always did know how to get attention."

"And you're still as lovely as ever. Now, to business. Ex-Cabal agents are on their way here and if we don't leave now things are going to get rather bullet ridden." He quickly placed his hand on the small of her back to propel her away from the conference rooms. Helen took a few steps before she stopped and turned to face him.

"And why should I believe you?"

A loud crash sounded behind them and Helen turned to see heavily armed men make their way into the lecture. She quickly turned to Nikola and walked passed him.

"I assume you have a plan other than kissing me." She said as he opened a door for her. He smirked at her as they descended a set of stairs into the cellar of the Hotel.

"Genius, remember?"

He quickly pulled a key out of his pocket and opened an old wooden door, stepping back he gestured into the darkness beyond.

"Beauty before Brains."

Helen shot him a look before she quickly walked into the darkness and spun around to watch Nikola lock the door behind them. He flicked on the lights and Helen was able to see a rat scurry across the dirt.

"Charming." She said and made a face at it as she fought the impulse to take a few steps back. She would never live it down if Nikola knew she was afraid of the creatures.

"I know." He said with a smile, thinking she was talking about the escape route. "It's part of a two hundred year old system of catacombs underneath the city." They fell into step beside each other.

"I'm assuming there are other exits further on."

"Should be. My contact said that there would be." He assured her.

"Contact?"

"The concierge in the hotel." Nikola said with a smirk as the two of them rounded a corner. "Don't you just love Rome?"

The sound of the door crashing open behind them cut Helen's retort before she had the chance to say anything. They both picked up the pace as silently as possible and ducked into an alcove as the agents gained on them. Helen pressed herself against the wall, pulling her gun from her waist and trying to ignore Nikola as he leaned into her personal space.

"My God, you look sexy with a gun." He purred into her ear. She shot him an exasperated look and turned back to their pursuers.

"Shut up and help me." She whispered, preparing herself to fight as two men approached their hiding spot. Using the element of surprise she quickly struck one of the men in the face and knocked him out. The other man rushed her and she tried to wrestle his gun out of his hands only to find herself pinned against the wall. She gave out a startled gasp as Nikola quickly grabbed the man's neck and lifted him in the air, snarling at him as he did so.

"Leave her alone." His voice had become deep and his eyes turned black as he fought the urge to snap the man's neck. Helen became frightened as he raised his clawed hand to slash the man's face and she quickly pointed her gun at him.

"Nikola that's enough!" She commanded, her gun following him as he dropped the agent. He gave a breathless chuckle as his features returned to normal and whipped out his handkerchief to wipe his hands.

"Well, that was exciting." He said as he took a few steps closer to Helen. She kept the gun pointed at him and backed up.

"A little too much so." She told him, her grip tightening on her gun. "You haven't stopped taking your medication have you?"

"No, no." He assured her. "I just got a little excited." His eyes flashed down to the gun still held at his chest. "Come on Helen, I don't feed on humans. I made that vow long ago and I intend to keep it."

Her mind flashed back to the first few months after he had changed and her grip faltered for a moment. Those first few weeks had been terrifying to say the least. He had savagely attacked James and Nigel and had almost sunk his teeth into her neck before John was able to subdue him. Helen still had nightmares about that day and had always wondered why he had decided to bite her instead of slashing her like he had the others. A quick flash of him pressing her up against the wall of her father's study with his lips on her neck shot through her mind and she tightened her grip on the gun in fear.

As all that passed through her, she cautiously lowered the gun. He had apologized so many times for what had happened back then and had quickly adapted to a steady diet of Animal blood to keep it from happening again. Nikola shot her a quick smile and walked out into the darkness of the adjacent tunnel, flicking his thumb into a hanging light socket and sending a wave of electricity down the line. There was a sharp crack and then light flooded the area, illuminating Nikola's self-satisfied smirk as he wiped his hand.

"Your favorite parlor trick." Helen stated as she stepped towards him. Nikola winked at her and waved her in front of him.

"This way my lady."

"You haven't lost your touch, I'll give you that." She remarked as she walked passed him. She could feel his eyes on her back as she made her way further into the labyrinth beneath the city.

Several minutes of silence later she felt Nikola's hand on her arm and she stopped to look back at him. He held his finger to his lips and held up two fingers before pointing to the opening ahead. Helen nodded and let him take the lead.

As they got closer to the opening she could hear the static from the men's radios giving away their position and she winced as Nikola darted into the darkness. She followed as quickly as she could and saw the two men lying unconscious against the wall with Nikola staring down at them. Ignoring the urge to scold him, she quickly crouched down beside the bodies and grabbed one of their flashlights.

"Come on, there will be more where they came from." She said as she got to her feet and turned to face her companion. Nikola smirked at her and tucked the handkerchief he had just wiped his hand with back into his pocket.

"This is fun isn't it?" he said with a smirk as he led the way further into the tunnel. "Just like old times back in London, when was that? '42, '43?"

"I prefer not to think about it." Helen admitted.

"Come on Helen, every major spy agency in the world was looking for me. I needed your help. And besides, what's a faked death among friends?"

Noise from around the corner drew their attention and they pressed themselves against the wall.

"Whose hare-brained notion was it to supply every allied government with plans for your death ray weapon?" She whispered, annoyed with his enthusiasm.

"Well, I thought they'd all share and that peace would break out. I did. I had my Nobel speech all memorized." He said, a small smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. They listened to the men searching for a moment before the sounds of their clearing the area echoed back to them and a question rose up in Helen's mind.

"How did you know that the Cabal was after me?" she asked, turning to look at him. Frustration filled Helen as she watched him flick his fingernails together, the tell-tale sign he was about to lie to her.

"I watch them and they watch me. We've had a few entanglements over the years."

"I've had my contacts keeping an ear to the ground for any Cabal movements since they attacked the sanctuary network. I would have known beforehand if they were going to make a move on me here. In fact, they didn't show up until after you arrived… They're not after me at all, are they Nikola?" She asked as realization dawned on her. "They want you."

Nikola grinned. "You haven't lost your touch, either."

Footsteps echoed around them and they pressed themselves back against the wall again, pulling back slightly when laser sights lit up the wall in front of them with tiny green dots. Moments later the men were gone and Helen felt safe enough to voice her displeasure.

"You've always been reckless, but contacting me when the Cabal was following you-"

"Oh I know. It's not one of my best ideas but I had no choice, I needed to see you."

"Then use the proper channels." She whispered as they continued down the dark passageway. "Contact one of my facilities and have them arrange a secure location."

Nikola shot her a flirty smile.

"Would you rather I endanger one of your Sanctuaries, or just you?"

"How about neither?" Helen was completely exasperated. "Nikola, you dropped out of sight before the end of World War II-"

"Well, I did die a lonely, impoverished, pitiful old man. Thanks for the funeral, by the way. I heard it was quite nice."

"I faked your death to save your life so that your work could continue. I think I'm owed an explanation as to your whereabouts since then."

"Hey, perfecting the use of electricity and radio waves? Hard acts to follow, okay? But I have kept busy. At Oxford, all those years ago, what we did was more than just pushing boundaries. For me, it was personal." He defended himself.

"As it was for all of us." She reminded him, a flashback to the burning pain after the injection of the source blood hit her and she took a moment to shake it away. Nikola sensed her distress and turned to face her.

"You all changed, whereas I found out who I really am. And the more I embrace that, the more I realize just how little I've accomplished." There was a strange sincerity in his voice as he gazed at Helen, some deeper meaning in his eyes that escaped her.

"Your gifts to the world will live on long after you die... whenever you actually die."

Nikola's voice became flat and emotionless.

"You think you can call this existence 'living?' The Cabal hunt me at every turn."

"But why? You've been underground for decades. We both know the Cabal only go after what they perceive to be of value." Helen searched his eyes for the answer and shivered when Nikola's eyes flashed black for an instant.

"Or a threat." He said with a slight smile. He stepped around her and walked away, leaving Helen with a growing suspicion that Nikola's reappearance was more than it seemed.

"Why would the Cabal see you as a threat?" Helen asked as they ducked into another tunnel.

"I'm a Vampire; some people are threatened by that."

"Only part Nikola, pure blood vampires were wiped out centuries ago. Besides, you alone are not enough to make the cabal this angry." She watched him for any sort of hint about what he was planning. "What's really going on?"

"The ancient ones, they were intelligent, gifted, powerful… until a bunch of church folk decided that our race was impure…" He grabbed Helen's hand as she nearly tripped over a rotted corpse and dropped it just as soon as she was stable. Helen fluttered her fingers in an attempt to get rid of the tingling feeling his electricity always generated. She suspected he did it on purpose.

"…Evil." He continued undeterred. "And not only did they hunt them down and kill them off, but they turned our species into cultural joke."

"Ancient Vampires were the Caesars, the Pharaohs of civilization." She protested. "Humans were enslaved; they rose up with good reason! If the world knew the truth-"

"Humans were conquered because we were smarter and stronger, and when Vampires ruled the world it was a golden age. Science, art, architecture all advanced and after they killed them off what happened?"

"The dark ages."

"And now people think we're allergic to garlic and can turn into bats at will. It's beyond insulting."

"Don't forget sparkling in sunlight." Helen added. She couldn't help it; it was Ashley's fault for insisting she read those ridiculous books. And she had. All four of them. Nikola shot her a dark look before motioning her into another passage.

"As though a vial of stale water blessed by some priest would have any other effect than a bad taste in my-" Nikola stopped short as the ground started to shake beneath them.

"Earthquake?" Helen asked, spreading her feet a little to increase her balance.

"Worse." Nikola said, grabbing her arms and pushing her back into the passage they had just come from as a shockwave blasted him into the wall of the tunnel.

Helen had to wait for the dust to settle before she was able to see the damage the Cabal agents had done to Nikola. She clicked on her flashlight and started to scan the debris until she saw a pair of legs dangling two feet off the ground. Taking a sharp breath she hurried over to Nikola, flashing the light up to see a sharp piece of wood sticking out of his chest.

"_Nikola_." She gasped, her grip on the light trembling for a split second as she stepped closer to his body.

She felt a tremor in her heart as she tried to process the fact that he was dead. She was about to raise her hand to touch him when his body jerked to life.

"I vant to suck your blood." He drawled in his best Dracula impression, eyeing her as if she were a delicious morsel he couldn't wait to devour. Helen felt all sympathy drain from her body.

"Get down from there." She hissed in exasperation, completely failing to hide the relief she felt at his survival. Nikola groaned as he shoved himself off of the stake and landed gracefully in front of her. Not bothering to fight her instincts as a doctor, she reached forward and quickly unbuttoned his jacket to see the damage only to watch the hole in his chest start to knit together before her eyes. She quickly dropped her hands as Nikola picked a splinter out of the wound.

"Irony is," He said conversationally as he wiped the blood off his fingers. "I once owned the patent for that weapon. I never should have sold it to Edison, cheapskate that he was."

Helen was furious at his lack of consideration to her feelings.

"Do you think this is funny?" She raged. "Tricking me into helping you with whatever games you are playing with the Cabal? I don't appreciate being put in the line of fire!"

"Helen-"

"You've always been like this, haven't you? Selfish, arrogant, putting your own desires before everyone else's."

Nikola smiled at her, he loved it when she was passionate.

"I brought you here for two reasons: Because only you can help me with what I'm working on and because I love you."

"Yes, so you keep… what?" Helen paused as her brain caught up with what he had said. White hot panic flooded her as the implications of his admission started to hit.

"I always have." He admitted. He slowly raised his hand and reached forward to caress her neck. "More than that lunatic Druitt ever did."

Helen's eyes widened as she took in his serious gaze and she couldn't help but lean away from his touch, discomfort filling every fiber of her being at his claim. Nikola dropped his hand as she shifted but didn't back away.

"I mislead you and I deeply apologize for that, but I had to see you." He said, his voice low and filled with something Helen didn't want to name.

"You…you're serious aren't you?"

Nikola could only smile at her as his eyes flicked to her exposed throat.

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Dun Dun Dun!

Ominous isn't it? ;)

Reviews feed my muse, please be kind and keep her from starvation.


	6. Chapter 6

Sooo I know its been a while, thank you all for bearing with me! Once again I own nothing, I just play with the characters before putting them back in their toy box. Now on with the show! er, Story!

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Nikola made a slight move towards Helen and she immediately took a half step back, rocking her weight to her extended leg. The vampire seemed to sense her fear and raised his hands in front of him in a nonchalant manner.

"Back at Oxford, the others used the Source Blood for power and for greed, but you… You altered yourself out of a pure desire for knowledge. You're the only scientist, perhaps the only person I've ever really admired." His eyes never left hers as the corner of his mouth turned up in a tiny half smile. He slowly stepped closer, his hand reaching towards hers when the sound of footsteps approaching forced them to move again, this time driving them into an alcove between two tunnels.

Green lasers suddenly lit up the space between them and Helen jumped back, glad for the excuse to put some distance in between Nikola and herself. He smiled at her as the sounds of the cabal agents approach echoed through the tunnel.

"We're going to have to fight out way out of here. No killing." Helen whispered urgently as she checked her gun. Nikola smirked.

"Said the woman with the gun to the Vampire." Helen shot him a look.

"Just follow my lead." She whispered. Nikola openly smiled at her and spoke without lowering his tone.

"That won't be necessary."

Helen glared at him.

"I, for one, don't intent to get captured or killed." She hissed angrily.

"You won't"

"What do you mean?"

The alcove in which they stood was suddenly filled with screams of horror and gunshots echoed wildly from the tunnel ahead. Helen quickly looked forward and then back to the smiling vampire beside her with wide eyes. Nikola closed the distance between them with one step; Startled, Helen flinched back and came up against the tunnel wall. Nikola's eyes were shining with excitement and Helen had to fight to keep her hands from shaking.

"The playing field just got leveled." He said. A piercing silence surrounded them and Nikola quickly stepped out into the open, his steps confident and sure as he lead Helen around the corner into an open area.

Bodies littered the ground in front of them and Helen quickly rushed forward to see if anyone could be saved, swallowing heavily she noted that their throats were slit and the ground was sticky with blood.

"My god," She said. "What did this?"

"It's not so much the 'What', as the 'Why' that counts."

Nikola's smile said more than words ever could.

"This is your project, isn't it?" Helen quickly stood up and faced him, horrified by both the carnage at her feet and the smug smile on his face. "This is what you've been working on."

"Tonight you get to witness the rebirth of the greatest Abnormal that ever walked the earth."

The hair on the back of her neck rose and the eerie feeling of being watched crept up her spine. A familiar clicking noise followed by near silent footsteps made Helen spin around and raise her gun in self defense, panic filling her as the familiar black eyes and sharp teeth of a vampire filled her vision.

"My God Nikola" she gasped, "What have you done?"

He smiled at his creations before turning to Helen.

"Welcome to the Future."

"What the Hell are they?" They had all the physical aspects of the vampires, but something was off. Their bodies were moving, but there was nothing but a flat darkness in their eyes.

"Well, in the very basic sense," he said, walking towards his creations. Smiling, he spun back around and waved his hand behind him. "They're me."

"You found a way to revive the species."

Nikola pulled a knife from his pocket and held it up for her to see.

"The question, could I use my own altered DNA," He started, dragging the blade across his palm and holding his bloody fist over the mouth of one of the corpses. "To turn a boring old _homo sapien_ into a higher, more evolved species." He took a small device from the hands of one of his creations and looked up at her.

"And the answer is so simple it will make you cry. Watch." Without warning he dug the device into the corpse and a horrifying scream erupted from it. Tiny bolts of electricity wrapped around Nikola's hand and the scream deepened and turned into a snarl. Nikola smiled triumphantly up at Helen and the creature was suddenly standing, its claws extended and its teeth bared at her. Nikola stood next to it and it turned its attention to him.

"Well, thanks for joining the party. Now go join the others."

The creature moved sharply, like it was getting ready to attack, and for a moment Helen was worried that it would ignore the order and come after her. Nikola watched it until it came to a stop beside the others and then he turned to face her, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his now healed hand free of blood as he spun around.

"The cool thing about using my DNA to reanimate the dead is," He paused for effect, nearly laughing at the look on Helen's face. "They do whatever I say."

"They're practically mindless." Helen suddenly found her voice, keeping it calm and steady as she tried to comprehend just how bad things were going to get.

"I Know." He admitted. He started ticking off their attributes on his fingers, scowling at his hand with each addition. "They're fast, vicious, strong, but they're as dumb as tree stumps, which defeats the whole purpose of the project."

"You want me to help you make them intelligent."

Nikola's excitement grew.

"This is the culmination of everything we stood for as The Five." Helen started backing away, shaking her head against his words. Nikola compensated by stepping closer as he continued speaking. "Pushing boundaries, exploring realms of science that other people are afraid to, just imagine!" He turned to face his creations, "Sanguine Vampirus reborn."

The vampires moved closer to their creator and the horrible clicking noise came from the back of their throats. He looked over his shoulder at Helen and waited for her to praise his achievement.

"They would only enslave us again."

Nikola spun on his heel and advanced on her again, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a hint of anger.

"Well, I don't think human beings are doing such a good job of it right now, do you?" He paused as if waiting for an answer. When none was given he continued on. "You and I could usher in a new golden age of thought, and culture, and peace…" He held out his hand to her, waiting for her to take it. To choose him.

Helen shook her head in disbelief.

"You're mad Nikola."

"No!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, his fingernails becoming claws for a moment before he got himself back under control. Helen flinched back and instantly regretted it. Nikola's eyes turned black before he went on.

"The Philadelphia experiment was mad! This," he pointed behind him to his creatures, "Is progress."

Helen swallowed nervously and Nikola's eyes reverted back to the way they had been before. He slowly lowered his hand and leaned casually against the wall, watching her for a moment before continuing.

"We all know that the Abnormals are on the rise and now we just need someone to lead them."

"You."

"Us." He corrected, walking forward until he was only a few feet away from her.

"You saw how my mini-me's dealt with those trackers earlier tonight. Now just imagine an entire army of them… but massively intelligent. You and I could give the cabal and the worl-"

Helen's hand flew up and shot Nikola before spinning on her heel and running back the way they had come. He fell back before yanking himself to his feet and wincing as the bullets popped out of his skin.

"Get her." He commanded, taking a moment to calm himself as two of his vampires dashed after her.

Helen ran as fast as she could but the creatures were faster. She spun around and raised her gun, firing rapidly at them to slow them down so she could get away. Seeing that the bullets were useless against them she continued running until she came to a dead end and heard them gaining on her. She fired her two remaining shots and raised her hands to try to defend herself as the first vampire reached her, its claws extended and the bloodlust shining in its eyes.

"Wait"

Nikola's voice echoed through the cavern and the vampire in front of her stopped mid-strike. They slowly backed away until Helen could see Nikola standing at the only exit. He slowly approached her with dark eyes and sharp teeth, his dominance over the others ensuring they didn't try to kill her before they moved away.

"Not yet." He said to his new pets, his eyes raking over her disheveled form. His eyes focused on her neck, watching her pulse point as it ticked against her skin. Helen slowly lowered her hands and watched him watching her, goose bumps erupting all over her body as he looked at her throat longingly.

"Helen, did you really think you could get away?" He said as he stalked forward, his eyes dropping down to her heaving chest before traveling up to meet her horrified gaze. "Nice shooting by the way."

"I thought you loved me?" She said, still trying to get her breath under control.

"I do. That's why I'm going to forgive you for trying to kill me. After all, I did try to bite you the first time we came into contact with each other after the source blood."

"Nikola, you know I won't help you with this insanity."

"A Vamp can dream."

He made a sign with his hand and Helen yelped as the vampires suddenly grabbed her arms and started to pull her in Nikola's direction. Nikola turned and lead them to a short set of stairs not too far from where they had entered the tunnels and Helen realized what he had done.

"You lead me around in circles." She spat angrily. Not stopping, Nikola looked over his shoulder and addressed her accusation.

"I had to find some way to keep you occupied until my creations could handle pest control. It's not like we were ever in any real danger." He said.

Helen was lead up the stairs and out into an empty parking garage save for one limo idling not far from the door. She protested and tried to get away again but was pulled inside the dark vehicle, two of the vampires sitting on either side of her to keep her from bolting. Nikola sat across from her and folded his hands together in front of him.

"I hope you're hungry, I thought we might discuss my plans over dinner." He said as the car started moving. As they exited the garage the setting sun played across Helen's features and highlighted her angry expression.

"How can you just sit there calmly as if-"

"Helen," He interrupted in a patronizing tone. "I've had over a century to figure this out; you've had a few hours. Once you have had time to think this over rationally you'll see that what I am proposing is in both of our best interests."

"Ours? Nikola, I refuse to take part in this!"

"As I said, once you have had the chance to think this through you'll change your mind."

Helen fumed silently, turning to stare out the window and refusing to meet Nikola's eye. The buildings passed by until they were far out of the city and the houses had become few and far between.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Patience is a virtue my dear. Besides, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

They fell into silence and soon the creeping darkness was relieved by flaming torches leading up to a large wrought iron gate that opened as the car approached. It slowed down slightly and Helen could hear the gravel crunching under the wheels as a large manor appeared out of the darkness. They followed the lit path until they slowed to a stop in front of the front door and Helen was escorted out of the vehicle and into the house. Ignoring her protests Nikola dismissed the vampires and grabbed her hand, tucking it into his arm and forcibly leading her up the stairs and further into the house. They came to a stop in front of an open doorway and Helen could see her empty luggage at the foot of a rather large bed.

"I've taken the liberty of having your bags brought here and you'll find everything you need hanging in the closet. I suggest you change into something more appropriate, I'll be back to escort you to the dining room in a half an hour. Be ready or I'll come dress you myself."

She was about to say something scathing when Nikola shoved her none to gently into the room and closed the door behind her, turning the lock from the outside so she had no way to escape.

"Serbian bastard." She growled before turning to the wardrobe. She quickly walked over to it and pulled open the door to find what she could only assume to be Nikola's clothing inside. Hanging neatly next to one of his jackets was the only dress that she had brought with her. She turned to look around the room and came to only one conclusion. She was locked in Nikola's bedroom.

She turned back and eyed the dress critically, wishing she had selected something different when she had packed her bags. The dress itself was modest, but when she put it on it molded itself to her like a second skin. She wanted nothing more than to refuse to get dressed, but Nikola's threat hung heavily in the air and she had no doubt that he would go through with it.

She walked into the adjacent bathroom and started to clean herself up, locking the door not to keep Nikola out, but to give herself a seconds warning if he should decide to come in. Twenty minutes later she was stepping into the dress and a quick look in the closet provided a pair of tasteful heels that wouldn't allow her to tower over her companion. Noting the time she quickly walked over to the vanity and secured her hair in a half up-do with one of the jeweled clips Nikola had provided, finishing just as he knocked on the door.

"Helen, are you ready?"

Without warning the lock clicked and the door opened. Nikola stopped dead in the doorway, one hand still on the knob, frozen to the spot.

"It's been over a hundred years and you still manage to take my breath away every time I see you."

"If only." Helen said dryly.

"Oh, you finishing school girls." He retorted and quickly walked over to stand in front of her, raising her hand to his lips and brushing a kiss to her knuckles.

"Shall we?" he asked, tucking her arm into his and gently pulling her towards the door.

"As if I had a choice?"

"Now that's the spirit!"

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*Dodges flying cupcakes*

Thanks for everything everyone! I know I have reused episodes from the show, but it was necessary to build up to what I have coming... The next chapter will be original, I promise!

I live on reviews, don't let me starve!

Clicky Clicky the review button and I will give you a cookie!


	7. Chapter 7

At last! We have another chapter!

*Throws confetti in the air*

I did this one without my beta so all the mistakes are mine, but I hope you like it anyways! Please PLEASE leave a review!

Again, I only play with the characters, they in no way belong to me and I promise to put them back once I'm finished with them.

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Chapter 7

Once they entered the dining room Nikola led her to her chair and pulled it out for her, taking his place across from her once she was settled. He smiled at her and poured two glasses of wine, setting one in front of her before picking up his glass. Helen sat still and waited for Nikola's next move.

"To new beginnings," He said, raising his glass to her before taking a sip of the wine. Helen looked at the glass in front of her and back up to Nikola. She had no idea what Nikola would do to try to sway her towards his position and she wouldn't put it past him to spike her drink.

"Come now Helen, surely you don't think I would drug you? If I had wanted to do that I would have injected you with something earlier this evening." Seeing the expression on Helen's face Nikola gave an exasperated sigh and reached for her glass, taking a quick swallow before setting it back in front of her. "I give you my word that nothing you ingest tonight will compromise that control you have so tightly wound."

Helen glared at him. "And I suppose that your immunity to common sedatives and the fact that you've brought me here against my will are things I shouldn't consider before accepting anything you serve me?"

"You wound me Helen. I have no intention of harming you in any way." He raised his glass to his lips and paused before taking a sip. "Of course, should you try to run I may rethink that decision."

"How kind of you." She said

"Don't be bitter Helen. This is supposed to be a celebration, why don't we try to enjoy ourselves?"

He clapped three times and Helen quickly formulated a plan as one of his vampires rolled the dinner cart into the dining room. A plate was placed in front of Helen but she ignored it and glared at Nikola as the vampire left. He smiled at her and waved at the food on the table.

"I know that I said we would discuss my plans over dinner but I would much rather talk about us."

"There_ is_ no us" Helen snapped. Nikola seemed unfazed by her outburst.

"Well, not right now, and certainly not with that attitude."

"Stop toying with me. Just say what you need to say and be done with it."

"What, no small talk?"

Helen just glared at him as he picked up his steak knife. He held it up in front of him and studied it as he chose his next words.

"Helen, you and I are a part of something far greater than anything you could imagine. What you think you know about my ancestors are children's stories compared to the true history of my race." He set the knife down and his eyes met hers. "Do you ever wonder why my gifts were so much more powerful than the rest of the five?"

He waited for an answer but continued on when none came.

"It's true that the vampires were stronger, faster, and smarter than your average human but they possessed gifts that make other Abnormals pale in comparison. Longevity, stealth, precognitive foresight, telepathy, and I could go on. All of these gifts wrapped up into a far superior package." He paused and his features sharpened. "They saw what the world would become and took measures to make sure they would come back. That I would bring them back."

"You think that this is your destiny? My god Nikola, you're talking about world domination! No one person was meant to rule the world."

"And now we get to the heart of the matter."

"This is madness. How can you sit there and expect me to help you destroy everything I've spent my life trying to protect?"

"I sit here, not as a vampire looking to destroy the world, but as a man wanting to make it a better one. All of this was foreseen thousands of years ago by my ancestors. The Five was part of their vision. You were part of their vision."

"What are you talking about?"

"According to the messages my ancestors left in Bhalasaam, it was no accident that the five of us met. Each of us inherited one of the many gifts that the vampires had at their fingertips. Your longevity, John's teleportation, Nigel's invisibility and James's intelligence, each gift given with the purpose to change the fate of this planet. They planned the whole thing."

Nikola's eyed drilled in to Helen's. She couldn't hide the look of horror on her face.

"James was to be my general. He was to help me strategize the best way to make the changes without bloodshed or hatred. John was to be my foot soldier; my silent assassin against those that would do me harm. Nigel was to be my spy, bringing me information on those who would try to stop my plans from happening."

"And me?" Helen's voice trembled slightly. Nikola smiled and reached for his wineglass.

"You were to be my queen."

Helen launched herself across the table to try to plunge her steak knife into Nikola's chest. She cried out in pain as his claws encircled her wrist and he used her momentum to roll her under him before they hit the floor. She gasped in pain and screamed as he ripped the knife from her grasp and it spun across the floor and ricochet off one of the table legs before sliding to a stop just out of Helen's reach.

Nikola let go of her wrists and grabbed her arms to pull her up and Helen slam her knee into his groin as hard as she could. He dropped her and she fell back and hit her head against the hardwood floor. Ignoring her double vision and nausea she frantically reached for the knife and got it between them as he landed on her. The knife slid into Nikola and she felt his warm blood drip onto her chest as she shook underneath him. His eyes glazed over and he choked out her name before slumping down on top of her.

Knowing that a knife wound would only incapacitate him for a few minutes she quickly rolled him off and stumbled to her feet to run out of the room. She made it to the front door and felt her heals sink into the grass as she ran across the grounds. She kicked them off and ran barefoot to the trees surrounding the manor, barely making it into the outer edge before she heard Nikola start to yell at his creatures back in the house.

A moment later the only thing she heard was the sound of her own breathing and the slight rustle of the leaves as she brushed past them. She dodged through the trees and through a small stream, hissing quietly as the cold water and sharp rocks stung her feet.

A few minutes later Helen slowed to a stop, panting softly as she tried to catch her breath. Her legs and sides ached from running and she had no idea where she was. She had no doubt that Nikola was right behind her so she started moving again, this time listening as hard as she could for any sounds of pursuit. She nearly sighed in relief when she heard a vehicle somewhere close by and she started running as fast as she could, all of her focus on getting to the road and flagging down a car. She was almost out of the woods when she was grabbed from behind and slammed against the tree by a very angry vampire.

"Helen," Nikola growled into her ear. He spun her around to face him and she clawed at his face, crying out when he grabbed her arms and dug his fingers into her flesh. His grip pulled the shoulder of her dress away from her neck and his dark eyes drilled into hers as he fought to hold her against the tree.

"Nikola, please," she said, her voice trembling and tears spilling from her eyes as she stopped struggling.

"Shush," He whispered. His eyes dropped to her neck. "Begging will come later." He leaned forward and nipped at her throat just over her pulse point, not hard enough to break the skin but to remind her of what he was capable of. Helen gave a small whimper in the back of her throat and took a shuddering breath as he inhaled her scent. Her muscles tense and he released one of her arms to start pulling her back towards the manor.

"Nikola, let me go," She cried, struggling against his vice like grip. He ignored her and continued pulling her along, his grip firm on her wrist. She struggled harder and began yelling loudly in the hopes that someone on the road would hear her.

Nikola quickly grew frustrated with her antics and turned around to grab her throat. He cut off her windpipe and Helen clawed at his hand as she fought for breath. She felt herself becoming light-headed as her vision started to fade and the last thing she saw was Nikola's sharp teeth and black eyes. After a moment she fell unconscious and he swept her up into his arms and carried her back to his bedroom to wait for her to regain consciousness.

The first sensation that Helen was aware of when she woke up was the heaviness in her limbs quickly followed by a nearly crippling pain in her head. She slowly sat up and raised her finger tips to her temple in an attempt to alleviate the pain, wincing when she accidentally pressed too hard on a welt left from a tree branch. She turned her head to the side and felt a sharp sting in her neck right where her throat and shoulder met and she softly probed the spot to see if she had been bitten. As her arm brushed her side she felt silk and her eyes flew open in surprise. She looked down at her body and made a startled noise in the back of her throat; someone had wiped away the blood and had dressed her in a long silk nightgown. In the dim moonlight shining from the window she saw that she was in Nikola's bed and for the moment the vampire was thankfully absent.

Helen swung her legs over the side of the bed and attempted to stand only to have her legs go out from under her. She silently turned towards the bed and slid to her knees, burying her head in her hands as she took a few stabilizing breaths before trying to push herself to her feet again. She was halfway there when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist to steady her as she fought the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her. She panicked and tried to struggle away only to be held securely against Nikola's chest.

"Take it easy, you're safe." He whispered softly into her ear. He waited until she was calm before loosening his hold to turn her in his arms. She had tears in her eyes as she fought to stay upright and gladly held on to his arms as he lowered her to sit on the mattress.

"Safe?" Helen repeated, her voice hoarse from his rough treatment earlier. She let go of him and twisted her hands together in her lap, closing her eyes as Nikola knelt in front of her. "You tried to kill me."

"You gave me no choice. I did warn you."

Her center of gravity shifted and she gasped as Nikola reached out and held her hands.

"What did you give me? " She slurred out, her hand going to her neck where he had injected her.

"Something to help you sleep Helen, we have a lot to talk about but first you need to get some more rest. I promise I won't hurt you."

The world spun again and Nikola caught her as she started to fall forwards. He lifted her up as if she weighed no more than a child and laid her back on the bed, pulling the soft sheets and warm comforter over her form as she struggled to remain awake.

"Don't touch me." She begged before she lost consciousness.

He watched over her as she slept and let his mind wander over his plans. He reached forward to move a curl out of her face and stopped a hairsbreadth away from her skin, desperately wishing to touch her but refusing to go against her wishes while she was asleep. He let his hand drop to his side and walked towards the fireplace, taking a seat in the chair with the best view of the bed. He poured himself a glass of wine and settled in to wait for her, letting his eyes rest on her face as the drug slowly wore off and she slipped into a natural sleep.

It was some time later when she gasped and turned away from him. She curled up around herself and bit into her fist as she started to cry. Nikola went to her side and looked down on her as she started whimpering Ashley's name. His expression softened and he sat down beside her, intent on waking her from her dark dreams. He was just about to touch her when she cried out John's name. He flinched back and watched the expression on her face turn from one of horror into one of hope. Disgusted, Nikola stood back up and walked over to his wine glass, raising it to his lips and draining it in on swallow. He heard Helen stir on the bed and waited until he heard the bed sheets being pulled back.

Helen stood without aid this time, her abnormality speeding up the healing process by a few days in only a few hours. She wasn't one hundred percent better yet but she stood a better chance with Nikola now than she had before he had drugged her.

Nikola turned towards her and waited until he was sure she was steady before he started speaking.

"You've seen him recently, haven't you?"

"What does it matter to you?" she asked. Nikola's face was angry as he walked towards her and grabbed her arm. Helen stiffened and thought about jerking away but instead allowed him to lead her to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. She knew she was no match for Nikola in the state she was in and made the decision to wait for him to lower his guard. Not that she thought it would happen soon.

"It matters to be because by all rights he should be dead!" he hissed as he pushed her into the chair. Her spine stiffened as he braced himself on the arm rests. His face was inches away from her own and she could only watch him with wide eyes as he spoke acidly.

"The Jolts I gave him should have allowed the creature to take full control." All of the blood drained from Helen's face as she processed his words.

"You knew about the creature?" Hot fury filled her.

"I created it." He snarled. Angry tears of betrayal filled Helen's eyes and she clenched her hands into fists to keep herself from trying to claw Nikola's eyes out.

"Why?" She said, her voice was raised and slightly broken but her eyes never left his.

"You're mine." He snapped, standing up and running a hand through his hair angrily. "You belong to me and he refused to acknowledge that."

Helen's heartbeat sped up and pounded painfully in her chest. Nikola was insane.

"I knew before the source blood that you were meant for me." His tone was casual now, as if he were speaking about the weather rather than his obsession with her.

"Do you remember," he said as he leaned down in front of her again. He reached out and wrapped one of her curls around his finger, staring at it as he spoke. Helen had to fight not to flinch away. "The night I woke up after the source blood you were there. I didn't even have to open my eyes to know it; I could smell you… I can smell you now." He said as he lifted one of her clenched fists.

Without feeling the pain, Helen and broken the skin on her palms with her fingernails. Nikola gently opened her hand and looked down at the four bloody crescents on her smooth skin. He looked up at her and brought her hand to his face, letting her fingers rest on his cheeks as he turned his head and inhaled deeply. Helen watched in horrified fascination as he pressed his lips to her palm before turning back to her with a look in his eyes that she couldn't begin to understand.

"You grabbed me." Helen whispered. "You threw me against the wall and tried to-." Without a word Nikola dropped her palm and stood up in one fluid motion, startling Helen into silence. He walked to the fireplace and grabbed a glass ornament from the mantle.

"It started innocently enough." He continued as if she hadn't said anything. "We had just found out that your father was gone and that the source blood was missing as well. You had run to John and I needed a distraction from the anger I felt." He turned the ornament in his hands and Helen watched a small spark start to build up in it.

"I was working on a way to amplify my powers and came up with this." He said, raising the glass tube in his hand and watching the sparks jump around inside it. "I was running an experiment when john burst into my lab and told me that he had asked for your hand in marriage."

Nikola's eyes flickered to Helen's and he watched for her reactions. Her face held no color and she was gripping the armrests as if she would fly away at any moment.

"I was furious when he told me that you had said yes." His eyes dropped down to the tool in his hand and he smiled. "I hadn't been ready for human trials until his announcement." His eyes flashed to Helen's and they became hard and cruel.

"I slammed this into his chest and zapped him with every last ounce of energy I had. It was beautiful."

Tears spilled from Helen's eyes and she covered her mouth in horror.

"I meant to kill him," He admitted with a smile. "But in the end it didn't matter. You chased him at gunpoint once you realized what he had become." Helen stood up and made for the door only to be intercepted by Nikola.

"Let go!" Helen sobbed, trying to pull her arm out from the vampire's grasp. Nikola growled and spun her around, grabbing both her wrists and pushing her back against the glass window. She took a sharp breath and looked up at him with terrified eyes, turning her face away as he closed the distance between them to avoid his kiss.

She tried not to sob and closed her eyes as he dipped down to her neck, slowly dragging his fangs over her pulse point. He moved so softly that it raised tiny goose bumps on her skin. He pulled back slightly and her breath hitched as he pressed his lips where he had previously had his fangs.

"What makes you think," He whispered, his hot breath against her throat sending shivers down her spine. "You are in any position to make demands?"

"Don't do this" She pleaded softly. "I don't want you to do this."

Nikola pulled back and she turned to face him. His eyes were black and hungry as he tightened his grip on her wrists.

"This isn't about what you want this is about what I deserve. I have spent over a century watching you and John doing this intricate dance through the decades, hunting and haunting each other, getting close enough to make the other bleed."

He let go of her one of her wrists and raised his hand to her face, softly threading his fingers in her hair and brushing his thumb over her cheekbone.

"But no matter how much you tried, you could never kill him. He's your Achilles heel. The one thing that keeps you from the only place you truly belong."

He felt Helen panic and let her go when she wrenched herself out of his arms. She backed a few steps away and bumped into the chair she had been sitting in only moments before. Nikola took a step towards her and smirked as she stepped to the side and put the chair between them. It would offer her no protection should he decide to go after her, but he had to admire her survival instincts.

"I realize that this is a lot of information to take in at once, but you must know how I feel about you. How I've always felt about you." His voice was soft, the words spoken as if to a child. He took another step towards her and she flinched.

"Don't" She begged.

"I would grant you your heart's desire if only you would let me."

"If you truly love me you'll let me go."

"Ah, but we both know I'm, how did you put it back in the tunnel? 'Selfish, arrogant, putting my own desires before everyone else's.'?" He sent her a self satisfied smile and walked to the bedroom door.

"I've made it no secret that I desire you above all else and nothing is going to stand in my way. Good night Helen, sleep well."

The door shut behind him and Helen heard him lock the door before his footsteps faded away.

* * *

DUN DUN DUN!

Cliffhanger :)

Leave a review and my muse will feed my plot nubbins XD


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